Zero latency enterprise enriched publish/subscribe

ABSTRACT

Solutions for reducing latencies in enterprise operations and business processes adaptation particularly as related to enriched publish and subscribe are proposed by the present invention. These solutions are implemented in a zero latency enterprise (ZLE) framework that allows the enterprise to integrate its services, applications and data in real time. Namely, an enterprise equipped to run as a ZLE is capable of integrating, in real time, its enterprise-wide data, applications, business transactions, operations and values. An operational data store operates as an information broker between the applications such that applications publish messages to the central repository and subscribe to messages from the central, rather than exchange request-response messages directly with each other. Thus, enriched publish and subscribe improves information synchronization between applications and reduce the number of request-response messages the applications would otherwise exchange. Consequently, an enterprise conducting its business as a ZLE exhibits superior management of its resources, operations and customer care.

REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of and incorporates byreference U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/285,640 filed Apr. 19,2001.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0002] This application is related to and incorporates by reference U.S.patent applications Ser. No. 09/948,928, filed Sep. 7, 2000, entitled“Enabling a Zero Latency Enterprise,” and Ser. No. 09/948,927, filedSep. 7, 2000, entitled “Architecture, Method and System for ReducingLatency of Business Operations of an Enterprise.”

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] 1. Field of the Invention

[0004] The present invention relates to an information technology (IT)infrastructure of an enterprise. More specifically, the presentinvention relates to an IT infrastructure that enables a zero latencyenterprise (ZLE) through real time integration of enterprise services,business, processes, applications and data, and optimizes informationexchange between enterprise applications.

[0005] 2. Background Art

[0006] For maintaining the desired comprehensive view of theiroperations, organizations have to integrate their systems via theirinformation technology (IT) infrastructure. IT infrastructures allowvaluable information to be distributed across organizations to theirgroups of information consumers, including remote employees, businesspartners and customers.

[0007] When addressing their critical information technology needs,organizations often resort to new best-of-the-breed applications (orsolutions) that supplement their legacy applications. In order toleverage their existing applications, organizations integrate theirlegacy applications with the new applications, a practice known asenterprise application integration (EAI). To this end, software vendorshave responded by building tools, known as EAI products, alas differenttools by different vendors, to automate the integration process.

[0008] With conventional solutions in place, organizations have beenusing some form of the EAI platform to integrate and exchangeinformation between their applications. However, with substantialamounts of information located on disparate systems and platforms,information is not necessarily present in the desired form and place.Independent configuration for disparate industry standards andtechnologies makes systems integration requirements difficult to meet.The distinctive features of business applications that are tailored tosuit the requirements of a particular domain complicate the integrationeven further. In addition, the new and legacy software applications areoften incompatible and their ability to efficiently share informationwith each other is diminished.

[0009] Deficiencies in integration and data sharing are indeed adifficult problem of IT environments for any enterprise. When requiringinformation for a particular transaction flow that involves severaldistinct applications, the inability of organizations to operate asone-organ, rather than separate parts creates a challenge in informationexchange and results in economic inefficiencies. Accordingly the presentinvention addresses these and related issues.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied andbroadly described herein, the invention provides enriched publish andsubscribe operations in an IT infrastructure that allows an enterpriseto run as a zero latency enterprise (ZLE). The enterprise experiences aplurality of events occurring in association with business transactionsconducted at a plurality of sites across the enterprise. The ITinfrastructure is configured with a ZLE framework having a hybridfunctionality that allows the enterprise to integrate its services,business, processes, applications and data in real time. Namely, anenterprise equipped to run as a ZLE is capable of integrating, in realtime, its enterprise-wide data, applications, business transactions,operations and values. An enterprise so equipped has a better capacityfor responding to changes in the competition landscape and for adaptingto changes in its business. Consequently, an enterprise conducting itsbusiness as a ZLE exhibits superior management of its resources,operations, supply chain and customer care.

[0011] This framework is not a single product or middle ware. Rather, itdefines architecture with collection of products, tools, and servicesthat enables, among others, the reduction of operational latencies inthe enterprise. With such hybrid functionality, an enterprise running asa ZLE can route information across various enterprise applications usingenterprise application integration technologies. Clearly, the ZLEframework is not just an enterprise integration platform as it canaccomplish application and data integration across the enterprise. Usingdatabase extractors, database loaders and application adapterstechnologies, the ZLE framework can integrate data related to thereal-time operations of an enterprise into a storage cache, also knownas operational data store (ODS) or more precisely ZLE data store.Moreover, using these technologies, the ZLE framework can synchronizeinformation across the enterprise using the enriched publish andsubscribe operations supported by the ODS and enterprise applicationintegration (EAI) tools. Also, any updates communicated (published) tothe ZLE hub from any application across the enterprise can, via the ZLEhub, bring about information synchronization in all other applicationsacross the enterprise, including its legacy applications. Informationand updates thereof are communicated (published) from and received(subscribed) by the applications to the ZLE hub by way of adapters.

[0012] Accordingly, one embodiment of the present invention is a methodfor enriched publish and subscribe in an enterprise running as a zerolatency enterprise (ZLE). The method includes initiating, in real time,a process responsive to an event associated with a business transaction.The process includes publish and subscribe operations. These operationsinclude publishing to the ODS one or more messages prompted by thatevent. The messages contain information from that event. The ODSconsolidates (or aggregates) respective information from the pluralityof events. The ODS operates as an information broker betweenapplications such that applications publish messages to the centralrepository and subscribe to messages from the central, rather thanexchange request-response messages directly with each other.Accordingly, the aggregated information can, in real-time, be accessibleand available for extraction and analysis from across the enterprise.The publish and subscribe operations further include updating theaggregated information with information from the published messages.These updates keep the information in the ODS up-to-date and, inaddition, make the publish operations independent of subscriptions. Thisway, each application can publish and subscribe to the ODS independentlyof the other applications and yet enjoy the benefit of having access tothe latest information. The publish and subscribe operations canadditionally include enriching new messages with information from thatevent and/or corresponding information extracted from the centralrepository, and subscribing to the enriched new messages rather than theoriginal message.

[0013] Another embodiment of the present invention is a computerreadable medium embodying computer program code configured to cause acomputer to perform steps for providing the enriched publish andsubscribe in an enterprise running as a zero latency enterprise (ZLE).The steps can be analogous to the steps of the aforementioned method.

[0014] Yet another embodiment of the present invention is a system forenriched publish and subscribe operations associated with businesstransactions conducted by the enterprise running as a zero latencyenterprise (ZLE). The system is implemented in a ZLE framework andincludes one or more applications via which the business transactionsare conducted; and an operational data store (ODS). The ODS isoperatively communicative with applications such that the applicationsare capable to publish messages to and subscribe to messages from theODS. As noted, the ODS is configured to operate as a dynamic centralrepository that consolidates information from across the enterprise andsupports business transactional access to real time information from anyof the one or more applications. Accordingly, the ODS is configured toknow what particular information any one of the applications needs inorder to accomplish its task, the particular information enrichingmessages to which the applications subscribe. The ODS is furtherconfigured to update the consolidated information with information frommessages published by the applications.

[0015] In another embodiment the foregoing system includes a ZLEenriched publish-subscribe service provider module that is associatedwith the ODS and to which each one of applications can register with itspredefined schema. The schema identifying which of a plurality of eventsassociated with the business transactions and which types of datachanges its respective application is interested in, the schema furtheridentifying the particular information needed by its respectiveapplication.

[0016] Thus, enriched publish and subscribe improves informationsynchronization between applications and reduce the number ofrequest-response messages the applications would otherwise exchange.Indeed, a result of the foregoing features, for a particular number (N)of applications, a combined number of the published and subscribedmessages can be reduced from twice that particular number (2N) to atotal number of 4 or 5 messages.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in andconstitute a part of this specification, illustrate several embodimentsof the invention and together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention. Wherever convenient, the same referencenumbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same orlike elements.

[0018]FIG. 1 illustrates a ZLE framework that defines, in the preferredembodiment, a multilevel architecture (ZLE architecture) centered on avirtual hub.

[0019]FIG. 2 illustrates the core of the ZLE framework.

[0020]FIG. 3 illustrates a ZLE framework with a different applicationserver supporting the ZLE core services that can be based on Tuxedo,CORBA or Java technologies.

[0021]FIG. 4 illustrates a ZLE framework configured from publish andsubscribe operations

[0022]FIG. 5 illustrates integration through messaging system middlewareby which messages are exchanged between legacy applications.

[0023]FIG. 6 illustrates the enriched publish and subscribe operations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] The present invention provides a zero latency enterprise (ZLE)enriched publish and subscribe that results in a more efficient messagestore function and exchange of information among applications. Foundedon the ZLE framework concept, as described in the aforementionedco-pending related applications (Ser. Nos. 09/948,928 and 09/948,927,respectively), the ZLE-enriched publish and subscribe involves anoptimization scheme for decreasing the inter-applications data query andmessages transmission load. As a preferred functional and architecturalstrategy, the present invention will be embodied in the ZLE framework.Namely, the ZLE-enriched publish and subscribe is implemented as part ofthe scheme for reducing latencies in enterprise operations. This schemeenables the enterprise to integrate its services, business rules,business processes, applications and data in real time. In other words,it enables the enterprise to run as a ZLE.

[0025] To enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use theinvention, the description of the invention is presented herein in thecontext of a patent application and its requirements. Although theinvention will be described in accordance with the shown embodiments,one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that there couldbe variations to the embodiments and those variations would be withinthe scope and spirit of the invention.

[0026] The meaning imparted to the terms below and throughout this paperis intended not as a limitation but merely to convey character orproperty relevant to the present invention. Where the terms have aspecial meaning or a meaning that is inapposite to accepted meaning inthe art, the value of such meaning is not intended to be sacrificed towell-worn phrases or terms.

[0027] Publish and Subscribe—respectively, refers to pushing data intoand pulling data out of a system or system module. Pushing data involvesfor example any one or a combination of allocating, writing, insertingand saving data. Pulling data involves for example any or a combinationof selecting, requesting, reading, and extracting data. Puling andpushing data may additionally involve sending and/or receiving the databy means of messages.

[0028] Enterprise—refers to any organization, including a businessorganization, its subsidiaries, departments, divisions, sections,sectors, groups, branches, channels or like parts; and it can includeany partners, affiliates and associates of the organization. Anorganization includes its resources such as one or more people, systems,databases, policies and more.

[0029] Enterprise-wide or across the enterprise—refers, depending on thecontext, to anywhere within or about the enterprise, in all parts of theenterprise, all over the enterprise, all around the enterprise, acrossall enterprise products, services, and channels, between any sites of orassociated with the enterprise, or at any site of or associated with theenterprise.

[0030] Extensible—refers to any one or the combination of scalable,extendable and expandable. Scalability relates to size, extendibilityrelates to volume and expandability relates to capacity. For example,the ZLE framework and architecture are extensible. With the ZLEframework and architecture, an enterprise is also extensible.

[0031] Scalable—refers to the ability to improve performance byextending the size of an enterprise, a system or an element thereof.Scalability of an enterprise enables it to run as a virtual enterprise(i.e., performing the functions of an entity beyond what is reallythere). For example, scalability allows an enterprise with exhaustedmanufacturing capacity to push production overflows to its partners oraffiliates. Namely, running as a virtual enterprise, the enterprise canextend its existing capacity through manufacturing-on-demand by itsbusiness partners; and the partners have visibility to the enterprise sothat they can stay informed and be prepared to respond. Scalability of asystem involves adding components to the system. Scalability of thesystem allows sizing it for better performance when the volume oftransactions increases.

[0032] Available—refers generally to an enterprise or system ‘beingthere’ even in the face of failure or absence of a part thereof. Forexample, an enterprise is available when it continues to conduct itsbusiness unimpeded even if a part of the enterprise is shut down. Asystem is available when it continues processing transactions even if itsuffers a component failure

[0033] Real-time—refers to immediately or almost immediately; or theactual time, nearly the actual time or within seconds from the actualtime during which an event or a process transpires, or pertains to theperformance of a computation or other action nearly or at the actualtime of a related event or process so as to render an instantaneous,up-to-the-second or up-to-the-minute result therefrom.

[0034] Zero Latency—refers to real-time or substantially real time. Interms of a system, zero latency is substantially no delay between thedesired and actual response time (no unplanned latency). In the contextof an enterprise, zero latency is about real-time or near real-timeoperations, processing and application of information to achieve acompetitive advantage, hence the term zero-latency enterprise (ZLE). Aswill become evident from the description herein, in the context of thepresent invention, the term ‘ZLE’ defines a broader term than theconventional ZLE term. And, to properly distinguish it from theconventional term, one might use the term Compaq ZLE™ (the presentinvention was developed at Compaq Computer Corporation in HoustonTexas). However, to simplify the discussion herein, the term ‘ZLE’ isused instead.

[0035] Coherent view—refers to substantial congruity of the views fromany part of the enterprise, or an enterprise-wide view of information,such as data, business transactions and their status, as well as anhistoric account thereof, that is consistent throughout the enterpriseregardless from where in the enterprise the view is obtained. The Viewof information can include access for loads, extractions and queries.

[0036] Loosely coupled applications—refers to applications that canfunction as stand-alone applications and that when integrated with theZLE framework are operationally independent and not relying on eachother for obtaining information although they can share thatinformation. The information is accessible by the loosely coupledapplications from a shared operational data store (ODS) so that datadependencies between requesting and responding applications are removed.

[0037] Tightly coupled applications—refers to applications that are notstand-alone and are tightly integrated into the ZLE framework. Tightlyintegrated functionality—e.g., event capture, data extraction, rules,workflow, message transports and transformations—becomes part of the ZLEcore functionality.

[0038] Docking—refers to interfacing, integrating or adding (e.g.,adding applications or solutions that extend the IT infrastructurefunctionality and, in turn, that of the enterprise).

[0039] Bulk data—refers to data in mass or at least in a cluster orblock.

[0040] Customer—referred to also as consumer, client, visitor or guest,is any entity, individual, or organization that can receive and consumea value. In a system sense, a customer can be another system orapplication (e.g., an enterprise application is an ‘end-customer’ of theZLE core as will be explained below).

[0041] Value-refers to any service, item for consumption, resource,product, creation, knowledge, information, action, etc. produced by orin association with the enterprise, internally or externally. A value istypically produced for the benefit of the customer.

[0042] Business—refers to any character, undertaking or functionality ofan organization, be it a commercial business or any other type oforganization (e.g., a commercial conglomerate, global charitableorganization, governmental agency, military organization, a localagency, such as law enforcement or emergency response, with affiliationto other local agencies, and more).

[0043] Business transaction—refers to any operation or processassociated with the business. A business transaction can be one or aseries of business transactions, discrete or related to each other. Abusiness transaction can be single or multi-phased, short or ongoing.

[0044] Event—refers, depending on the context, to an event occurringanywhere across the enterprise in the course of conducting the businessof the enterprise or an event occurring in any part of the ITinfrastructure of the enterprise upon commencement, in response to,during or after completion of a business transaction. One type of eventcan produce the other or can occur in combination with the other.Namely, an event can be any commencement or completion of a businesstransaction, any state change of a business transaction, any data entryor data change associated with the business or business transaction, anyinquiry or outcome associated with a business transaction and more. Anevent may produce a result, and the result, if any, may itself be anevent. An event may unlock or prompt the commencement of one or morebusiness transactions. An event may lock or prompt the ending of one ormore business transactions. The locking or unlocking may also be events.An event may be a single occurrence or a series of events. Severalexamples can be provided to illustrate the above. In one example, anevent can be a customer providing a new address or a ‘yes’ answer to aquery about a new address. In a second example, an event and a result,which is a ‘notable’ event, can be the recording of a new prescriptionat a local pharmacy and prompting notification about a new druginteraction related to the prescription from somewhere else. A thirdexample of an event involves an on-line order of a gift certificatesomewhere in the country for a recipient that opened a gift registryaccount in a store somewhere else. In a fourth example involving aseries of events a disaster alert is followed by hazardous chemicalsdata associated therewith. A fifth example involving a series of eventscan be an attempt to return merchandise almost immediately followed by afraud alert or a credit status change. Finally, in a sixth example anevent can be an inventory-level change for an item in a warehouse orproduction shop.

[0045] Indicia—refers to any detectable thing associated with an event,including any information related to the event. The information cancontain or is generated from one or a combination of data, transactionstate(s), look-up data (an historic account) and the like. It is notedthat the occurrence of an event can be detected by capturing the indiciaof its occurrence.

[0046] Transaction—refers to a collection of operations on the state ofan application. A transaction is typically triggered by a request, timeout or input message that prompts an operation. A transaction triggermay include one or any combination of event, condition and actionresulting from the transaction (operation). An action can itself be anevent or a cascade of events.

[0047] Application—refers to a program or software embodied in acomputer readable medium and including computer readable program-codethat causes a computer to perform a certain task. An application canspawn a transaction, and preferably a plurality of concurrenttransactions.

[0048] Services—refers to, in one sense, to enterprise services providedin the course of conducting the enterprise business (See, e.g., FIG. 3which describes a commercial business with its associated serviceconnections). In terms of the IT infrastructure, the term ‘services’refers to any applications that enable the enterprise to run as a ZLE byadding functionality to the IT infrastructure. In the context of the ZLEarchitecture ‘services’ can be one or any combination of applicationsthat provide integration services, ZLE native services, core ISVservices (ISV-independent solution providers), unified rules services,workflow services, message transformation services, extraction,transformation and load (ETL) service and the like. ‘ZLE services’ arecore services and capabilities, where core services include nativeservices and core ISV services. Loosely coupled applications can beconsumers or clients of such services.

[0049] Central repository—refers to a sharable unified capacity such asthe operational data store (ODS) or ZLE data store with a relationaldatabase management system (RDBMS) in the ZLE framework as definedherein. Although a central repository can be in a single physical deviceor located in a single physical location, the central repository may beconfigured in a distributed storage system that is nonethelessaccessible from across the enterprise.

[0050] As mentioned, the present invention is preferably embodied in aZLE framework. The ZLE framework as described in the aforementionedco-pending related applications was developed at Compaq ComputerCorporation of Houston Texas. Although it would be more accurate to usethe term Compaq ZLE™, the term ZLE is used instead for simplicity. Forfurther simplicity, a ZLE enterprise equipped with IT infrastructureconfigured in accordance with the present invention is referred to inshort as ZLE or enterprise running as a ZLE.

Overview of the ZLE Concept, Framework and Architecture

[0051] The ZLE Concept

[0052] In integrating e-commerce into their business models enterpriseshave had to deal with the shortcomings of latencies in their operations,including their interaction with and responses to consumers. Thisreality prompted the proposed solutions for reducing latencies. Zerolatency allows an enterprise to achieve coherent operations, efficienteconomics and competitive advantage.

[0053] Notably, what is true for a single system is also true for anenterprise—reduce latency to zero and you have an instant response. Anenterprise running as a ZLE, can achieve enterprisewide recognition andcapturing of business events that can immediately trigger appropriateactions across all other parts of the enterprise and beyond. Along theway, the enterprise can gain real-time access to a real-time,consolidated view of the its operations and data from anywhere acrossthe enterprise. As a result, the enterprise can apply business rules andpolicies consistently across the enterprise including all its products,services, and customer interaction channels. As a further result, theentire enterprise can reduce or eliminate operational inconsistencies,and become more responsive and competitive via a unified,up-to-the-second view of customer interactions with any part(s) of theenterprise, their transactions, and their behavior. Moreover anenterprise running as a ZLE and using its feedback mechanism can conductinstant, personalized marketing scored and fine-tuned in real time whilethe customer is engaged. This result is possible because of thereal-time access to the customer's profile and enterprise-wide rules andpolicies (while interacting with the customer). What is more, anenterprise running as a ZLE achieves faster time to market for newproducts and services, reduced exposure to fraud, customer attrition,and other business risks. In addition, an enterprise running as a ZLEhas the tools for managing its rapidly evolving resources (e.g.,workforce) and business processes.

[0054] The ZLE Framework and Architecture

[0055] To become a zero latency enterprise, an enterprise integrates, inreal time, its busines processes, applications, data and services. Zerolatency involves real-time recognition of business events, andsimultaneously synchronizing and routing information related to suchevents across the enterprise. As a means to that end, the aforementionedenterprise-wide integration for enabling the ZLE is implemented in aframework, the ZLE framework. FIG. 1 illustrates a ZLE framework.

[0056] As shown, the ZLE framework 10 defines a multilevel architecture,the ZLE architecture. This multilevel architecture provides much morethan an integration platform with enterprise application integration(EAI) technologies, although it integrates applications and data acrossan enterprise; and it provides more comprehensive functionality thanmere real time data warehousing, although it supports data marts andbusiness intelligence functions. As a basic strategy, the ZLE frameworkis fashioned with hybrid functionality for synchronizing, routing, andcaching, related data and business intelligence and for transactingenterprise business in real time. With this functionality it is possibleto conduct live transactions against the ODS. For instance, the ZLEframework aggregates data through an operational data store (ODS) 106and, backed by the ODS, the ZLE framework integrates applications,propagates events and routes information across the applications throughthe EAI 104. In addition, the ZLE framework executes transactions in aserver 101 backed by the ODS 106 and enables integration of newapplications via the EAI 104 backed by the ODS 106. Furthermore, the ZLEframework supports its feedback functionality via the data mining andanalysis 114 and reporting mechanism (which are also backed by the ODS).Advantageously, the ZLE framework 10 is extensible in order to allow newcapabilities and services to be added. Thus, the ZLE framework enablescoherent operations and reduction of operational latencies in theenterprise.

[0057] The preferred ZLE framework 10 defines a ZLE architecture thatserves as a robust system platform capable of providing the processingperformance, extensibility, and availability appropriate for abusiness-critical operational system. The multilevel ZLE architecture iscentered on a virtual hub, called the ZLE core (or ZLE hub) 102. Theenterprise data caching functionality (ODS) 106 of the ZLE core 102 isdepicted on the bottom and its EAI functionality 104 is depicted on thetop. Data mining and analysis applications 114 pull data from the ODS106 at ZLE core 102 and contribute result models to it. The resultmodels can be used to drive new business rules, actions, and so on.Although the data mining and analysis applications 114 are shownresiding with systems external to the ZLE core, they can alternativelyreside with the ZLE core 102. Clip-on applications 108 are tightlycoupled to the ZLE core 102 residing on top of the ZLE core and directlyaccessing its services. Enterprise applications 110, such as SAP'senterprise resource planing (ERP) application or Siebel's customerrelations management (CRM) application, are loosely coupled to the ZLEcore (or hub) 102 being logically arranged around the ZLE core andinterfacing with it via application or technology adapters 112. Thedocking of ISV (independent solution vendors) solutions such as theenterprise applications 110 is made possible with the ZLE docking 116capability. The ZLE framework's open architecture enables core servicesand plug-in applications to be based on best-of-breed solutions fromleading ISVs. This, in turn, ensures the strongest possible support forthe full range of data, messaging, and hybrid demands.

[0058] The ZLE Core

[0059] The ZLE core is a virtual hub for various specializedapplications that can clip on to it and are served by its nativeservices. Any specialized applications -including those that provide newkinds of solutions that depend on ZLE services-can clip on to the ZLEcore. The ZLE core is also a hub for data mining and analysisapplications that draw data from and feed resultmodels back to the ZLEcore. Indeed, the ZLE framework combines the EAI, ODS, OLTP (onlinetransaction processing), data mining and analysis, automatic modelingand feedback, thus forming the touchstone hybrid functionality of everyZLE framework. To this functionality others can be added including thefunctionality of native and core ISV services and of clip-on andenterprise applications. Moreover, the ZLE core enables an array ofenterprise applications (third party application) to interface to andbecome part of the ZLE framework.

[0060] The ZLE core components include an ODS acting as a centralrepository with clusteraware RDBMS functionality, a transactionsapplication server acting as a robust hosting environment forintegration services and clip-on applications, and core services. Thesecomponents are not only integrated, but the ZLE core is designed toderive maximum synergy from this integration. Furthermore, the servicesat the core of ZLE optimize the ability to integrate tightly with andleverage the ZLE architecture, enabling a best-of-breed strategy. Theycontribute essential ZLE services that enable a true Compaq ZLE™.

[0061] It is noted that Compaq®, Compaq ZLE™, AlphaServer™, Himalaya™,NonStop™, and the Compaq logo, are trademarks of Compaq ComputerCorporation of Houston, Texas. True64™ is a trademark of Compaqinformation Technologies Group, L.P., and UNIX® is a trademark of theOpen Group. Any other product names may the trademarks of theirrespective originators.

[0062] ZLE Core Services

[0063] At the ZLE core of the ZLE framework resides a set of ZLEservice—i.e., core services and capabilities—as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.The core services 202 can be fashioned as native services and core ISVservices (ISVs are third-party enterprise software vendors). The ZLEservices (121-126) are preferably built on top of an application serverenvironment founded on Tuxedo 206, CORBA 208 or Java technologies (CORBAstands for common object request broker architecture). The broad rangeof core services includes business rules, message transformation,workflow, and bulk data extraction services; and, many of them arederived from best-of-breed core ISVs services provided by Compaq, theoriginator of the ZLE framework, or its ISVs.

[0064] Among these core services, the rules service (121) is providedfor event-driven enterprise-wide business rules and policies creation,analysis and enforcement. The rules service enables writing businessrules using graphical user interface or syntax like a declarative,English-language sentence. Additionally, the rules service is designedto find and apply the most applicable business rule upon the occurrenceof an event. Based on that the rules service is designed to arrive atthe desired data (or answer) which is uniform throughout the entireenterprise. Hence this service may be referred to as the uniform rulesservice. This service allows the ZLE framework to provide a uniformrule-driven environment for flow of information and supports itsfeedback mechanism. The rules service can be used by the other serviceswithin the ZLE core, and any clip-on and enterprise applications that anenterprise may add, for providing enterprise-wide uniform treatment ofbusiness rules and transactions based on enterprise-wide uniform rules.

[0065] The extraction, transformation, and load (ETL) service (126)enables large volumes of data to be transformed and moved quickly andreliably in and out of the database (often across databases and platformboundaries). The data is moved for use by analysis or operationalsystems as well as by clip-on applications.

[0066] The message transformation service (123) maps differences inmessage syntax, semantics, and values, and it assimilates diverse datafrom multiple diverse sources for distribution to multiple diversedestinations. The message transformation service enables contenttransformation and content-based routing, thus reducing the time, cost,and effort associated with building and maintaining applicationinterfaces.

[0067] The workflow (process flow) service 122 is provided forsupporting global business transactions across multiple systems, and formapping and controlling the flow of short or long term businesstransactions across the enterprise. The workflow (or process-flow)service manages the flow of business transactions and processes betweenmultiple systems and applications that are integrated via the ZLEframework and may take only seconds or up to days to execute. Thisentails monitoring and managing ongoing transactions as well as ensuringthe correct flow of business transactions. The workflow serviceleverages the state engine capabilities of the ZLE core database totrack the state of the transaction—and provide visibility into itsprogress—over the ensuing hours, days, and weeks it takes to run itscourse.

[0068] The parallel message router and inserter service (124) isprovided for high performance, high-volume routing, and insertion oftransaction event data into the ODS and other ZLE services andapplications. Message routing may involve the rules and workflowservices of the ZLE core. These services may intervene to determinewhere particular messages are to be routed based on content andpredefined workflow process. A powerful message routing and insertioncapability is designed for routing high volumes of messages through theZLE architecture. To propagate high volumes of messages to the databaseand elsewhere within the ZLE framework, the router and inserter functionleverages the parallelism of the ZLE platform. This capability canfurther include content-based routing and use of the ODS as a databasemanagement system that can store transactions in SQL tables and as acentralized message store and queuing system for efficientpublish/subscribe message distribution. Constantly refreshedinformation, such as stock prices or data on inventory levels, can beinserted into the ODS and then published to the appropriate subscriber.

[0069] Essentially, this message routing and insertion capability isrouting between the internal components of the ZLE core. Hence, althoughthe ZLE framework supports message oriented middleware (MOM), thiscapability differs from the functionality of routing and queuing systemsthat move messages from application to application.

[0070] Transaction Processing

[0071] Fundamentally, the ZLE framework includes elements that aremodeled after a transaction processing (TP) system. In broad terms, a TPsystem includes application execution and transaction processingcapability, one or more databases, tools and utilities, networkingfunctionality, an operating system and a collection of services thatinclude TP monitoring. A key component of any TP system is a server. Theserver is capable of parallel processing, and it supports concurrent TP,TP monitoring and management of transactions-flow through the TP system.The application server environment advantageously can provide a common,standardbased framework for interfacing with the various ZLE servicesand applications as well as ensuring transactional integrity and systemperformance (including scalability and availability of services). Thus,the ZLE services (121-126) are executed on a server, preferably aclustered server platforms 101 such as the Compaq NonStop™ Himalaya™server or the Compaq AlphaServer™ server running the Tru64™ UNIXoperating system 111 (The Compaq servers are developed by CompaqComputer Corporation of Houston Tex.). The Compaq clustered serverplatforms 101 provide the parallel performance, extensibility (e.g.,scalability), and availability requisite for business-criticaloperations.

[0072] Clip-on Applications

[0073] Clip-on applications 118, literally clip on to, or are tightlycoupled with, the ZLE core 102. They are not standalone applications inthat they require the substructure of the ZLE core and its services(e.g., native core services) in order to deliver highly focused,business-level functionality of the enterprise. Clip-on applicationsprovide business-level functionality that leverages the ZLE core'sreal-time environment and application integration capabilities andcustomizes it for specific purposes. ISVs (such as Trillium, RecognitionSystems, and MicroStrategy) as well as the originator of the ZLEframework (Compaq Computer Corporation) can contribute value-addedclip-on applications such as for fraud detection, customer interactionand personalization, customer data management, narrowcasting notableevents, and so on. A major benefit of clip-on applications is that theyenable enterprises to supplement or update its ZLE core native or coreISV services by quickly implementing new services. Examples of clip-onapplications include interaction manager, narrowcaster, campaignmanager, customer data manager, and more. The following describes theseexamples in some detail.

[0074] The interaction manager application (by Compaq ComputerCorporation) leverages the rules engine 121 within the ZLE core todefine complex rules governing customer interactions across multiplechannels. The Interaction manager also adds a real-time capability forinserting and tracking each customer transaction as it occurs so thatrelevant values and more can be offered to consumers based on real-timeinformation.

[0075] The narrowcaster application preferably uses MicroStrategysoftware that runs against the relational database of the ODS in orderto notify a notable event (hence it is also called notificationapplication). Notable events are detected within the ZLE framework inreal-time. Then, sharing data (in the ODS) that the interaction managerand rules engine have used to assert the notable event, the narrowcasterselectively disseminates a notification related to such events. Thenotification is narrowcasted rather than broadcasted (i.e., selectivelydisseminates) to terminals, phones, pagers, and so on of specificsystems, individuals or entities in or associated with the enterprise.

[0076] The campaign manager application can operate in a recognitionsystem such as the data mining and analysis system (114, FIG. 1) toleverage the huge volumes of constantly refreshed data in the ODS of theZLE core. The campaign manger directs and fine-tunes campaigns in realtime based on real-time information gathered in the ODS.

[0077] The customer data manager application leverages customer datamanagement software to synchronize, delete, duplicate and cleansecustomer information across legacy systems and the ODS at the ZLE corein order to create a unified and correct customer view.

[0078] Extending ZLE via Enterprise Applications and Adapters

[0079] The ZLE core architecture is designed to evolve with changes inthe business environment of the enterprise. Enterprise applications(typically specialized ISV solutions), such as PeopleSoft, SAP's ERP orSiebel's CRM applications, can “dock” on the ZLE core via adapters. Theadapters enable normalized messaging for exchanges among standardapplications (such as SAP, PeopleSoft, popular Web server applications,and so on) as well as exchanges with custom applications. There areother architectural and functional requirements that the adapterssupport, including allowing, for example, legacy environments anddiverse databases to join the ZLE framework.

[0080] Enterprise applications are loosely coupled to the ZLE core, theclip-on applications and other third party enterprise application (orISV solutions). When so interfaced, an enterprise application becomes alogical part of the ZLE framework and shares that data with all theother applications through its ZLE data store (ODS). Enterpriseapplications differ from the tightly coupled clip-on applications inthat they can stand alone, without the benefit of the ZLE framework.However, their value to the enterprise is increased immensely byintegration with the ZLE framework. In some cases, these applicationsare the “end-consumers” of the ZLE architecture. In others, they providemuch of its fodder in the form of information and specialized proceduresof the enterprise. Typically, as enterprise applications integrate orinterface via the ZLE framework with other applications and systemsacross the enterprise they play both roles—i.e., taking and providinginformation in real time. Notably, the information applications take andprovide is centrally warehoused in the ODS, more details of which arehereafter provided.

[0081] ODS with Cluster-aware RDBMS Functionality

[0082] The ODS with its relational database management system (RDBMS)functionality is integral to the ZLE core and central to achieving thehybrid functionality of the ZLE framework (106 FIG. 1). The ODS 106provides the mechanism for dynamically integrating data into the centralrepository or data store for data mining and analysis, and it includesthe cluster-aware RDBMS functionality for handling periodic queries andfor providing message store functionality and the functionality of astate engine. Being based on a scalable database, the ODS is capable ofperforming a mixed workload. The ODS consolidates data from across theenterprise in real time and supports transactional access toup-to-the-second data from multiple systems and applications, includingmaking real-time data available to data marts and business intelligenceapplications for real-time analysis and feedback. For the purpose ofpublish and subscribe as will be further detailed below, the ODS ismanaged using database extractors and database loaders technologies.

[0083] As part of this scheme, the RDBMS is optimized for massivereal-time transaction and loads, real-time queries, andbatch-extraction. The cluster-aware RDBMS is able to support thefunctions of an ODS containing current-valued, subject-oriented, andintegrated data reflecting the current state of the systems that feedit. As mentioned, the preferred RDBMS can also function as a messagestore and a state engine, maintaining information as long as requiredfor access to historical data. It is emphasized that ODS is a dynamicdata store and the RDBMS is optimized to support the function of adynamic ODS.

[0084] The cluster-aware RDBMS component of the ZLE core is, in thisembodiment, either the NonStoP™ SQL database running on the NonStop™Himalaya™ platform or Oracle Parallel Server running on the Tru64 UNIXAlphaServer™ system. In supporting its ODS role of realtime enterprisedata cache, the RDBMS contains preferably three types of information:state data, event data and lookup data. State data includes transactionstate data or current value information such as a customer's currentaccount balance. Event data includes detailed transaction or interactionlevel data, such as call records, credit card transactions, Internet orwireless interactions, and so on. Lookup data includes data not modifiedby transactions or interactions at this instant (i.e., an historicaccount of prior activity).

[0085] Overall, the RDBMS is optimized for application integration aswell as real-time transactional data access and updates and queries forbusiness intelligence and analysis. For example, a customer record inthe ODS (RDBMS) might be indexed by customer ID (rather than by time, asin a data warehouse) for easy access to a complete customer view. Inthis embodiment, key functions of the RDBMS includes dynamic datacaching, historical or memory data caching, robust message storage,state engine and real-time data warehousing.

[0086] The state engine functionality allows the RDBMS to maintainreal-time synchronization with the business transactions of theenterprise. The RDBMS state engine function supports workflow managementand allows tracking the state of ongoing transactions (such as where acustomer's order stands in the shipping process) and so on.

[0087] The real-time data warehousing function of the RDBMS supports thereal-time data warehousing function of the ODS. This function can beused to provide data to data marts and to data mining and analysisapplications.

[0088] The dynamic data caching function aggregates, caches and allowsreal-time access to real-time state data, event data and lookup datafrom across the enterprise. Advantageously, this function, for example,obviates the need for contacting individual information sources orproduction systems throughout the enterprise in order to obtain thisinformation. As a result, this function greatly enhances the performanceof the ZLE framework.

[0089] The historical data caching function allows the ODS to alsosupply a historic account of events that can be used by newly addedenterprise applications (or clip-on applications). Typically, thehistory is measured in months rather than years. The historical data isused for enterprise-critical operations including for transactionrecommendations based on customer behavior history.

[0090] The state engine functionality allows the RDBMS to maintainreal-time synchronization with the business transactions of theenterprise. The state engine function supports workflow management andallows tracking the state of ongoing transactions (such as where acustomer's order stands in the shipping process) and so on.

[0091] The robust message store function supports the EAI platform forZLE core-based publish and subscribe operations. Messaging functions inthe ZLE framework may involve a simple messaging scenario of an EAI-typerequest-response situation in which a call-center application requestsinformation on a particular customer from a remote billing application.The call-center application issues a Tuxedo or corba call that thetransformation service in the ZLE core maps to a Tuxedo call forcommunicating with the remote application. Billing information flowsback to the call center through a messaging infrastructure. Performingpublish and subscribe through the relational database enables themessaging function to leverage the parallelism, partitioning, andbuilt-in manageability of the RDBMS platform. This platform supportspriority, first-in/first-out, guaranteed, and once-and-only-oncedelivery. More details about publish and subscribe operations areprovided below.

Publish and Subscribe Functionality

[0092] In the ZLE framework, EAI tools typically perform messagefunctions, while database and application servers are in charge oftransaction and data functions. The ZLE framework merges both, as wellas other functions that are unique to the ZLE framework and support theenterprise business. FIG. 4 illustrates the ZLE framework configurationfor publish and subscribe operations.

[0093] As shown, for message publishing (pushing to ODS) and messagesubscription (pulling from ODS and dissemination), the RDBMS caches andqueues messages (420) for subscribers (relating for example, to specificevents and their results). Data can be published by an application(e.g., 402) to the ODS 106 for formatting and insertion into a databasetable. For example, data can be published to the ODS in an XML message(XML stands for extensible Markup Language). The data can then be routedout of the ODS to multiple subscriber applications (e.g., 404, 406,408). In this way, the innate parallelism, scalability, and reliabilityof the database can be leverages, along with its managementcapabilities, to ensure an efficient flow of subscriber messages. Ofcourse, the current information contained in the database tables is alsoavailable for ad hoc querying or for bulk shipment to analyticapplications, data marts, and so on.

[0094] It is noted that other publish and subscribe products on themarket contain a data store for the queues, but they are not relational.And, unlike the ZLE architecture, they do not allow the end user toaccess these data stores through standard SQL syntax or withtransactional integrity.

[0095] The ZLE core-based publish and subscribe operations involve theEAI platform. Publish and subscribe operations are responsive toapplications that subscribe to the ZLE framework. Subscribingapplications ask for specific information whenever certain businessevents occur. These applications could be Web server, call center, orfraud detection applications in search of changes in a consumer's creditstatus; or they could be electronic catalog or supply chain applicationsdependent on receiving the most current inventory status. When eventsoccur, an adapter publishes the change to the ZLE framework. Theappropriate ZLE core service then formats the messages correctly andpushes them to the subscribing applications, where they are filteredthrough the application adapters.

[0096] Enriched Publish and Subscribe

[0097] In accordance with the present invention, the ZLE architecturecombines enterprise integration technologies with operational data storeand decision support to enable access of the enterprise to theinformation in real time across the enterprise, and to turn it intoknowledge that can be used for improving business processes.

[0098] Notably, the ability of the ODS to cache data can be used toenrich the messages—i.e., for request response or publish subscribe—thatpass through the ZLE framework. For example, the response to a requestfor “last customer transaction” can be enriched by change of address orchange of marital status information contained in the ODS as theresponse flows through the framework. Similarly, information cached inthe ODS for distribution to subscribers can pick up additional data thathas been cached there by other applications. For example, abusiness-to-business customer wants to make an online purchase. As theZLE architecture pulls together current inventory and pricinginformation, it can enrich it with personalized customer-specific datafrom its data store regarding special offers on relatedproducts—information that is invisible to the inventory system. ZLEenriched publish and subscribe is further explained below.

[0099] Previously, in an enterprise application integration environmentmultiple systems with different business applications have beenintegrated through a messaging system middleware (MOM). The idea beingthat when a business event happens in one application a message is sentto other applications that are affected by this business event, so theycan take the necessary action and the result will be an integratedenterprise. FIG. 5 illustrates how such approach would have beenimplemented.

[0100] The example of FIG. 5 involves enterprise applications thathandle product ordering, manufacturing and shipping. The enterpriseapplications, such as the order entry and shipping applications, may beolder applications that cannot exceed their earlier-designed capacity tomatch newer applications (hence such applications are collectivelyreferred to as the “legacy” applications, although legacy could refer toany application that is present in the system). As shown, when an orderentry application receives an order (i.e., a customer order), it sends amessage to a shipping application so that the ordered product can bescheduled for shipment. The message includes for example an ordernumber, customer name and the name of the product to be shipped.However, when a new order arrives from a customer to the legacyapplications, these applications may not have enough information toaccomplish their task. In this example, the shipping application mayneed to know about product size and availability, before it can scheduleshipping of the ordered product. The shipping application may also needmore information about the customer, such as his credit worthiness orhis address before it can schedule shipment of the product. The shippingapplication may need to send the result of its planning back to theorder entry application and customer support application so that theseapplications can, in turn, inform the customer as to when the productwill be shipped. Hence, this scheme creates multiple messages to thelegacy system, and puts stress on some of the legacy application byrepeatedly asking the same type of information, every time a new orderarrives.

[0101] More specifically, the process starts when an order entryapplication 502 receives a new order. The order can be received througha phone, POS (point of sale terminal), or WEB (world wide web). Then, anapplication adapter creates a message (1) with the customer name, order,and product name and sends the message to the shipping application 504directly or through an EAI broker hub. After receiving the message, theshipping application adapter realizes that it needs few more informationbefore it can complete the transaction and schedule the ordered productfor shipping. The needed information may include customer address,product size, and product availability. The shipping application adaptercreates a new message (2) requesting information about the productavailability and size, and sends this message to a manufacturingapplication directly or through the EAI broker hub. After receiving theresponse (3) to its first request, the shipping application creates anew information request to customer information application 508, askingfor customer address (4). Next, after receiving this information (5),the shipping application 504 schedules the product to be shipped, andinforms the order entry application 502 of the product shipment date(6).

[0102] It can be understood from the above that such a scheme isinefficient. Every new order or business event creates multiple messagesacross the enterprise integration hub, and legacy applications. Thefrequent and multiple messages, impose too many information requests onthese applications, which are already overloaded as it is. After eachtransaction is done, some of the legacy applications, such asmanufacturing or customer information applications, have no knowledge ifthe transaction was carried out to a successful completion or not.Moreover, information is still scattered and can not be used foranalysis to streamline business processes.

[0103] Hence, although the ZLE framework as described above supportsmessage oriented middleware (MOM), its message routing capabilitydiffers from the foregoing scheme of routing and queuing messages thatare moved from application to application. Indeed, with the approach inaccordance with the present invention, by comparison to the conventionalscheme, the number of information requests to the legacy system(including legacy applications and native core services), can be reducedand the overloading of the legacy system can be avoided.

[0104] In an enterprise running as a ZLE, by comparison to the aboveexample, when an order (business event) arrives at the ZLE core (or ZLEhub), and a message is sent to the shipping application, the shippingapplication does not need to create multiple requests and responses toother applications. Rather, it will subscribe or send a message only tothe ZLE hub for information about product size and availability. Sincethe information is already cached in an operational data store (ODS)hub, the ZLE hub is in a position to respond to the request directly.

[0105] The shipping application then asks the ZLE hub for informationabout the customer address. The ZLE hub will provide that piece ofinformation without the need to also ask another application. Thisinformation is cached in the ZLE hub whenever the customer interactswith the enterprise for the first time or whenever this information issubsequently changed.

[0106] With this architecture, the load on legacy applications isdrastically reduced since the information is provided directly from theODS at the ZLE hub and not from the legacy applications. The legacyapplications update the information at the ODS on their own time, andonly when some of the information in their environment changes, such aswhen a customer calls to change a home address.

[0107] As noted before, previous enterprise integration technologies arebased on messages, and they do not keep a cache of the information. Inaddition, enterprise integration technologies, do not provide theopportunity to enrich business events information with multiple piecesof necessary information. Therefore, with MOM technologies messagesrequesting the same information from legacy applications are sent overand over again.

[0108] One of the notable advantages of the present invention isproviding for such deficiencies. Indeed, a system with the ZLE enrichedpublishing and subscription capability requires, by comparison, reducedexchange of messages through the enterprise infrastructure. Namely,fewer messages are required for obtaining up-to-date enterprise businessactivity information necessary for taking an action. And, the legacyapplications are kept informed with up-to-date information withouthaving to exchange numerous requests (messages) among applications forextra information.

[0109] Since this invention reduces the number of messages required forcarrying information among multiple applications, it also reduces thenumber of messages that are passed through the enterpriseinfrastructure. This scheme not only reduces messages even when the ODSin the ZLE hub is present. It also ensures that the informationdelivered to a given application reflects the up-to-date status of theinformation at that point in time. Thus, this scheme provides controlover business events and transactional integrity.

[0110] The foregoing is accomplished by gathering enough information atthe ZLE hub (ODS), and then defining the information that should be sendto the legacy applications based on the set of events. The ZLE hub canminimize the number of messages by enriching the first message of eachnew order event (equivalent of message 1 in FIG. 4) with all of theinformation that the legacy applications need to complete their task. Inthe example above the order entry application sends a message about thenew order to the ZLE hub (also shown in FIGS. 5 and 6). The ZLE hub ispre-configured to know what sets of information the shipping applicationneeds in order to complete its task. Hence, before sending the ordermessage to the shipping application in response to an order event, theZLE hub enriches the order message with the customer address, productsize and availability information. In this way, the number of messagesacross the enterprise is reduced to half. Furthermore, there is no loadimposed on applications that were not taking part in the transactions.

[0111] To illustrate these advantages, when an order is processed in aZLE enriched system the process flow is shown in FIG. 6 and detailedbelow. The order entry application 602 receives a new order through thephone, POS, or WEB. An application adapter creates a message withcustomer name, order, and product name and publishes the message to theZLE hub (1). The ODS 106 warehouses information it obtained from thecustomer information application 606 before the event. Upon receivingthe new message (1), The ZLE hub 102 updates its ODS 106 with the neworder event. The ZLE hub creates a message (2) with the new order, thecustomer name and address, and the product size and availability, andsends this message to the shipping application 608. With this (enriched)information, the shipping application can complete the transaction,schedule shipping, and publish the status to the ZLE hub (3). Then, theZLE hub 102 returns the status to the order entry application (4).

[0112] As this example illustrates, by enriching the business events atthe ZLE hub, it is possible to decrease the number of message, and alsodeliver the information in a more timely manner to its destination. Inthis example the number of messages was reduced from 6 to 4. In a morecomplex environment when there are N number of applications involved thenumber of messages can be reduced from 2N to 4 or 5 messages.

[0113] As mentioned, the ZLE architecture includes ODS based on ascaleable database that is capable of performing mixed work load (asshown in FIGS. 4 and 6). This platform supports priority,first-in/first-out, guaranteed, and once-and-only-once delivery. It canupdate the database with transactional events with quality of service(grandee response time), while querying the database. This guaranteestimely and ordered delivery of enriched messages to the subscribingapplication.

[0114] To give meaning to events, each legacy application preferablydefines an XML (extensible markup language) schema that identifies thebusiness events or type of data changes in which it is interested. Aspart of this schema the legacy application also defines the rest of theinformation that it needs in order to complete its task when a businessevent happens. The legacy application then registers this request with aZLE enriched publish-subscribe service provider module. The ZLE enrichedpublish-subscribe service provider module stores this schema in theoperational data store. When a new business event such as a new orderarrives at the ZLE, the ZLE hub writes this information into theoperational data store. This action in turn triggers an indication thatsome applications are subscribing to that event. With this capacity, theZLE hub creates XML messages with all the necessary information that thelegacy applications defined in its subscription schema. Then the ZLE hubforwards these enriched message events to the legacy applications thathad subscribed to that event. Each subscriber receives a specificmessage that has all the information that it needs to finish its task.

[0115] Thus the present invention can create a new standard way forapplications to publish and subscribe with enriched information.Alternatively, ZLE can use standard products to create an extra value byaggregating some of these capabilities. That is, standard products canbe aggregated with XML schemas for defining information requests andsubscriptions by the applications and with an operational data storebased on a relation database for storage of these schemas. The messagescan get to legacy application adapters over any transport mechanismincluding Corba, Soap or MQ series.

In Summarry

[0116] The present invention contemplates a ZLE framework that keepsinformation from myriad enterprise systems refreshed, ready forconsolidation, and available for real-time deployment indecision-making, CRM, inventory management, and marketing campaignsbased on a unified view of customer interactions data and of theconsolidated state of the various enterprise operations. The ZLEframework realizes this vision by creating an amalgamation of manyfunctions to fashion hybrid functionality. This hybrid functionalityallows the combining and hot-caching of information from across theenterprise in real time, as well as providing uniform rule-driven,workflow-informed architecture for the flow of information and breakingdown performance dependencies between applications. This hybridfunctionality also enables new types of applications that could notexist without real-time data and application integration.

[0117] In an IT infrastructure configured with the ZLE frameworkincluding publish and subscribe capability as provided by the presentinvention, the information is provided directly from the ODS at the ZLEhub and not from the applications. The applications update theinformation at the ODS on their own time, and only when some of theinformation in their environment changes. Publish and subscribeoperations provide the opportunity to enrich business events informationwith multiple pieces of necessary information. A system with the ZLEenriched publishing and subscription capability requires, by comparison,reduced exchange of messages through the enterprise infrastructure forinforming applications with up-to-date information.

[0118] Finally, the ZLE framework is designed to leveragebest-of-the-breed tools into customized, integrated solutions forapplications and data integration. The ability of the ZLE architectureto perform different types of functions and process different workloadsin parallel and around the clock (24×365), without the need formaintenance downtime—with the added functionality of clip-onapplications from best-of-the-breed ISVs—is what unleashes theincredible business potential of any ZLE that builds the ZLE frameworkinto their IT infrastructure.

[0119] Although the present invention has been described in accordancewith the embodiments shown, variations to the embodiments would beapparent to those skilled in the art and those variations would bewithin the scope and spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, it isintended that the specification and embodiments shown be considered asexemplary only, with a true scope of the invention being indicated bythe following claims and equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for enriched publish and subscribe in anenterprise running as a zero latency enterprise (ZLE), the enterpriseexperiencing a plurality of events occurring in association withbusiness transactions conducted at a plurality of sites across theenterprise, the method comprising: initiating, in real time, a processresponsive to an event, the process including publishing to a centralrepository one or more messages prompted by that event containinginformation from that event, respective information from the pluralityof events being aggregated in the central repository where theaggregated information can, in real-time, be accessible and availablefor extraction and analysis from across the enterprise, updating theaggregated information with information from the published messages,enriching new messages with information from that event and/orcorresponding information extracted from the central repository, andsubscribing to the enriched new messages.
 2. A method as in claim 1,wherein the central repository operates as an information broker betweenapplications such that applications publish messages to the centralrepository and subscribe to messages from the central, rather thanexchange request-response messages directly with each other.
 3. A methodas in claim 2, wherein for a particular number (N) of applications, acombined number of the published and subscribed messages can be reducedfrom twice that particular number (2N) to a total number of 4 or 5messages.
 4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the central repositoryprovides a coherent view, in real time, of the aggregated informationfrom across the enterprise, the process being founded on the coherentview of the aggregated information.
 5. A method as in claim 2, furthercomprising: predefining a schema for each of the applications, theschema identifying which of the plurality of events and types of datachanges its respective application is interested in, the schema furtheridentifying any information its respective application needs forperforming tasks related to such events; and storing each schema in thecentral repository for later use in enriching the new messages.
 6. Amethod as in claim 2, wherein the applications cause the updating ofaggregated information at the central repository upon a change ofinformation in their environment.
 7. A method as in claim 1, wherein thepublished messages and subscribed messages are formatted in XML.
 8. Amethod as in claim 1, wherein the central repository is based on adatabase which can be updated with information from new events whilebeing queried and which can send the enriched messages to multiplesubscribers, thereby leveraging an innate parallelism, scalability andreliability of the database.
 9. A method as in claim 1, wherein thecentral repository includes relational database management functionalitythat caches and queues the published and subscribed messages.
 10. Amethod as in claim 1, wherein the enriched new messages to which anapplication subscribes can include extracted information that waspreviously published to the central repository by other one or moreapplications.
 11. A system for providing enriched publish and subscribein an enterprise running as a zero latency enterprise (ZLE), theenterprise experiencing a plurality of events occurring in associationwith business transactions conducted at a plurality of sites across theenterprise, the system comprising: means for initiating, in real time, aprocess responsive to an event, the means for initiating the processincluding means for publishing to a central repository one or moremessages prompted by that event containing information from that event,respective information from the plurality of events being aggregated inthe central repository where the aggregated information can, inreal-time, be accessible and available for extraction and analysis fromacross the enterprise, means for updating the aggregated informationwith information from the published messages, means for enriching newmessages with information from that event and/or correspondinginformation extracted from the central repository, and means forsubscribing to the enriched new messages.
 12. A system as in claim 11,wherein the central repository operates as an information broker betweenapplications such that applications publish messages to the centralrepository and subscribe to messages from the central, rather thanexchange request-response messages directly with each other.
 13. Asystem as in claim 11, wherein the central repository is based on adatabase which can be updated with information from new events whilebeing queried and which can send the enriched messages to multiplesubscribers, thereby leveraging an innate parallelism, scalability andreliability of the database.
 14. A method as in claim 11, wherein thecentral repository includes relational database management functionalitythat caches and queues the published and subscribed messages.
 15. Acomputer readable medium embodying computer program code configured tocause a computer to perform steps for providing enriched publish andsubscribe in an enterprise running as a zero latency enterprise (ZLE),the enterprise experiencing a plurality of events occurring inassociation with business transactions conducted at a plurality of sitesacross the enterprise, the steps comprising: initiating, in real time, aprocess responsive to an event, the process including the steps ofpublishing to a central repository one or more messages prompted by thatevent containing information from that event, respective informationfrom the plurality of events being aggregated in the central repositorywhere the aggregated information can, in real-time, be accessible andavailable for extraction and analysis from across the enterprise,updating the aggregated information with information from the publishedmessages, enriching new messages with information from that event and/orcorresponding information extracted from the central repository, andsubscribing to the enriched new messages.
 16. A system for enrichedpublish and subscribe operations associated with business transactionsconducted by an enterprise running as a zero latency enterprise (ZLE),the system being implemented in a ZLE framework and comprising: one ormore applications via which the business transactions are conducted; andan operational data store (ODS), the ODS being operatively communicativewith the one or more applications such that the applications are capableto publish messages to and subscribe to messages from the ODS, the ODSbeing configured to operate as a dynamic central repository thatconsolidates information from across the enterprise and supportsbusiness transactional access to real time information from any of theone or more applications, to know what particular information any one ofthe applications needs in order to accomplish its task, the particularinformation enriching messages to which the applications subscribe, andto update the consolidated information with information from messagespublished by the applications.
 17. A system as in claim 16, wherein theODS is configured with a cluster-aware relational database management(RDBMS) functionality that is capable of handling periodic queries,message queueing and store state engine operations, and handlingtransactions, including insertion, updating and deletion oftransactions.
 18. A system as in claim 16, wherein the consolidatedinformation can, in real-time, be accessible and available forextraction and analysis from across the enterprise, the ODS providingfor a coherent view of the consolidated information, in real time, fromacross the enterprise.
 19. A system as in claim 16, wherein theparticular information for enriching messages subscribed to by anapplication can be information previously published by anotherapplication.
 20. A system as in claim 16, further comprising: a ZLEenriched publish-subscribe service provider module that is associatedwith the ODS and to which each one of applications can register with itspredefined schema, the schema identifying which of a plurality of eventsassociated with the business transactions and which types of datachanges its respective application is interested in, the schema furtheridentifying the particular information needed by its respectiveapplication.
 21. A system as in claim 16, wherein for a particularnumber (N) of the applications, a combined number of the published andsubscribed messages can be reduced from twice that particular number(2N) to a total number of 4 or 5 messages.
 22. A system as in claim 16,further comprising: an inference-based rules engine that finds anappropriate business rule, regardless of the complexity of rules or thesize of any rules set, the inference-based rules engine facilitating arules service that integrates the rules and policies of the enterprisein the ODS; and a process-flow engine that manages a flow of thebusiness transactions, processes, and messages between the applicationsintegrated via the ZLE framework.